Wake Up Call

I'm tossing and turning in bed. It is still dark out. Why am I awake if my alarm hasn't gone off yet? Did I go to bed too early? Do I need to take an allergy pill? Pee?

I get up to check the time. Why is my body awake at... HEY! Why is my phone not on?! It is plugged in!

Frantically, I take my phone and charger to the kitchen outlet and turn it on. yikes! 6:40 am...

My alarm usually goes off around 6am. I am late for school. It feels like high school all over again. Except, when you are the teacher, you have more people counting on you being there. Well, I ended up getting there with plenty of time. I'm just lucky that my natural time clock woke me up.

On the drive to school, I thought about some other wake up calls in my life.

Wake up Call number 1.

Getting Married. I am getting married. YES! But there are so many things that come along with that. Wake up, and grow up--really fast.

Wake up Call number 2.

December 11th= KSU graduation=the beginning and hopefully the end of my unemployment. But Graduation also marks the end of something that I love probably way too much--school. I am pondering the costs and possibilities of Grad school. Wake up! Student loans suck. Real life lesson: nothing comes free. I believe in education, but do I believe in debt?

Wake up Call number 3.

LGN: non-existent. I can't push the snooze on this one. The gym misses me.

Wake up Call number 4.

Life is not invincible. With death and injuries abounding at an all time high around me, I find myself thanking God for my every breath. Every moment is precious. Every moment needs to be lived. Be thankful for every moment you have with your loved ones. You never know when someone might be living their last week, or losing part of who they are.

Wake up Call number 5.

Not everything is a walk in the park, but walking in the park might help. Sometimes I forget to go outside, besides the walk to and from the car.

Wake up Call number 6.

The pinnacle moment of my education quickly approaches. I will teach Frankenstein to over 80 Seniors at MHS in two weeks! Can't hit the snooze on the couch after school now... It's time to get some concrete plans made.

Well, it is now hour 2 at High School. My arabic student came in rapping in his mother tongue. I guess that is a wake up call to be more engaged in my students' lives rather than my blog.

HEY! Why didn't you bring your nice student teacher Starbucks? I take vanilla lattes if you are interested.

Wake up. Life calls.

This is my prayer in the desert

This week has been quite the ride. Sometimes God's timeline and plans just don't make a whole lot of sense. I know that is the point, but it really is difficult.

My Grandma Lewis had a stroke in California on vacation on Monday. She has been in the ICU for this week. They discovered that a clot had been forming that was inhibiting blood from getting into the left side of her brain. The doctors said that she may not be able to recover fully if at all. We are still waiting to hear more, but it doesn't seem to be very hopeful at the moment. She is not doing well physically. Please pray for her recovery and for my family if you think of it. There are many things to be thankful for in this situation. She had been on the trip of a lifetime with her sister when this happened. She was enjoying life and taking chances-something she doesn't do very often. She is still here. And even though she isn't completely here, she is here. I am so thankful that my Great Aunt was with her when this happened. I am so thankful that my dad is home safe from Africa and can go see her tomorrow. I am thankful that my family knows the Lord, and that my Grandma knows the Lord.

Living in this world that isn't my home can get exhausting... and that is an understatement.

I persevere, knowing that my purpose is greater than my own. His will is greater than my own. There are things left to hope for, and I am still waiting for my savior to come.

wandering thoughts of a student teacher

In these early stages of exploration in teaching, I am becoming more and more aware of the diversity of educators. Its like eating a corn dog for the first time in your life after only ever eating rice or fish. Both are accomplishing the same task, being fed. However, the differences can be astounding.

Is one better than the other? maybe. They are mostly just different.

I am discovering the differences.